Droves of smelt dippers headed to the lower Sandy River on Thursday for a rare seven-hour season to capture the oily fish -- the first opportunity in eight years. The rare fishing opportunity, which has a long tradition, attracted hundreds of people along the riverbanks near the confluence where the Sandy River meets the Columbia River. To catch the smelt, people used large dipping nets and 5-gallon buckets. Biologists are now waiting to see dip reports in the Sandy River to see whether they can allow more dipping. Click our bio to read the full report and see more photos --Mark_W_Graves #Portland #smelt #fishing #sandyriver